1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the art of cooking appliances and, more particularly, to a radial cooking byproduct trap and filter arrangement for a quick or rapid cook appliance.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In the art of cooking appliances, it has been heretofore proposed to enable an appliance to operate in a self-cleaning mode. For example, in a conventional range having a cooking cavity which can be heated by one or more cooking elements arranged within the cooking cavity to perform at least baking and broiling functions, it is known to operate one or more of the cooking elements to perform a pyrolytic self-cleaning operation in order to cleanse the walls of the cavity from grease and other food soils developed during normal cooking operations. In such a cooking arrangement, the cooking elements used to perform the cleaning process are located entirely within the cooking cavity.
In addition, it is known to provide a catalytic self-cleaning oven. In such an arrangement, the walls of the oven are coated with a catalytic material which provides for self-cleaning of the oven cavity during cooking operations. In performing any self-cleaning function, byproducts, including smoke, gases and other odorous fumes, are inherently produced. A typical oven cavity will be vented to permit the escape of these byproducts to the ambient surroundings. In some cases, a catalytic oxidation unit is provided in the vent to react with the flowing byproducts. In still other cooking appliance arrangements, a combination of pyrolytic and catalytic cleaning is performed.
Regardless of the fact that various self-cleaning systems have been proposed in the art, there still exists a need to further improve cleaning of a recirculating air flow in a convection cooking appliance in order to maximizes the elimination of byproducts, while also minimizing the necessary operating time for any self-cleaning mode. Particular concerns are raised in connection with the necessary operating time and byproduct elimination in a rapid cook convection oven which essentially relies on a heated flow of recirculating air and a microwave source for raising the temperature in an oven cavity.
The present invention is directed to trapping and filtering liquid and/or solid cooking byproducts for purposes of cleaning a recirculating air flow in a convection cooking appliance, particularly an appliance including an air channel assembly which is defined by ducting extending about portions of an oven cavity for directing the recirculating air flow into and out of the oven cavity. The overall system utilizes various heating elements to enhance the heating of the oven cavity, as well as the catalyst in order to enhance the efficient elimination of developed smoke, odor and other byproducts, and to effectively reduce the necessary cleaning cycle time for the appliance.
In accordance with the present invention, the convection cooking appliance particularly employs a radial byproduct trap and filter assembly for use in a quick-cook type convection cooking appliance. Specifically, the invention is concerned with using a concentric ring-type baffle filter having two cylindrical sets of opposing air deflectors or baffles. As recirculating air passes outwardly between two inner baffles, the air is accelerated by a nozzle-type effect prior to impacting a center zone of an outer baffle. This arrangement causes part of liquid and/or solid phases, such as grease, fats, and moisture, of the air flow to be deposited or trapped between the baffles. The air flow is then redirected back towards the inner set of baffles where, once again, the air impacts a baffle that leaves part of the byproducts in the air. Finally, the air exits between certain baffles of an outer baffle.
With this arrangement, the resulting separation of the liquid phase byproducts functions to deposit some of the liquid/solid byproducts onto an inside surface of an outer baffle, as well as on an outer surface of the inside ring of baffles. Symmetrical spacing of inlet and outlet or exhaust openings through each set of baffles generates a high uniform air flow pattern around the annular baffle arrangement. The overall air flow increases the effectiveness of the recirculation of the oven air system.
Additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent below with reference to a preferred embodiment of the invention, when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts in the several views.